The Knicks are hiring veteran Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant as their new associate head coach under head coach Tom Thibodeau, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bryant is the second assistant confirmed to be part of Thibodeau’s staff, joining Kenny Payne.
[RELATED: Knicks hire Kenny Payne as assistant coach]
Having initially joined the Jazz in 2012 as a player development coach, Bryant was promoted to his assistant role in 2014 when Quin Snyder was named the team’s head coach. He has been a key part of Snyder’s staff since then, with Jazz beat writers Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter links) both noting that Bryant is highly regarded for his player development skills. Jones adds that Bryant has a “very close” relationship with rising Utah star Donovan Mitchell.
In New York, Bryant will be Thibodeau’s lead assistant on a staff that also features Payne and is expected to include a pair of former Knicks coaches, Mike Miller and Mike Woodson. Neither Miller nor Woodson has been officially named an assistant yet, but multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated they’re good bets to be part of Thibodeau’s staff.
Bryant’s player development abilities will be put to the test as he joins a team that features numerous recent top-10 picks, including RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, and Dennis Smith Jr.
I predict that associate head coach won’t be Woodson and Miller
I’ll take your prediction one step further and say I think Johnnie Bryant will be the associate head coach. Fingers crossed we’re right.
Miller is coming back. He’s a company man. Well we need all development coaches we can get. So I’m good with that. Looks like Knicks have a much clearer vision now. This is what they should have done. When they hired a rookie coach Fizdale. Dolan works backwards sometimes lol.
link to nypost.com
Just to show this board how NY media is. And writer Marc Berman of Post is. Cause they print a lot his insider stuff here. OK
This article talks up the new coach. Tries to put spin on it. That he and Mitchell are close. And so it could be used as enticing Donovan. He’ll be a RFA in two yrs. And the turmoil he and Rudy had. He also writes that Knicks (Phil) passed on Mitchell. Which is a total lie. Blatant Trump lie. Knicks picked Nttilikina 8th that yr. DSJ went night, they have him too. But in 2017. Phil Jackson talked about trading down for Mitchell. Cause he felt he was a true talent. Came out as a PG in college. But Phil saw him more as a scoring guard . Well. !!!!! Duh
This same writer and rest of NY media. Tore Phil a new one. They bashed him mercilessly. For wanting to trade down for Mitchell. Now today Berman is saying we passed on Mitchell. Blatant Lies
So don’t believe everything they write or media tells you. Half the time they just want ratings.
Mitchell went 13th in 2017. Knicks picked 8th.
Thanks for reminding that Phil Jackson liked Donovan Mitchell against the popularity of Dennis Smith. You always here about Frank Ntklina being “Phil’s guy”. Turns out he wasn’t so wrong!
But meanness aside, the Knicks were going to be interested in Mitchell anyway unless he extends, and this hire cements at least more talk of it.
Well a few teams will be interested in him. Yes you’re right. Just wanted to make that point about NY media. Some people can’t deal with that. Media eventually turned on Phil. That’s part of what got him fired. Dolan does not like negative press. Phil was about running Triangle offense. Some form of it. For that you don’t need a true PG like CP3. It’s why he talked Mitchell but then settled on Frank. Mitchell went 13th. 12 teams passed on him. He was not considered big talent coming out like Westbrook was. Westbrook moved up on draft day. Frank cause his youth was considered solid safe pick. Draft is not exact science. But it’s best way to build a solid team. It’s why I’m all for rebuild and this draft. Knicks haven’t tried rebuilding since Ewing. The results of that are there for everyone to see. Three picks in top 37 draft this yr. All about the draft for me
The bad Teams In small town don’t want to overpay free agents but tanking for better picks
Doesn’t matter who comes as assistants… the real problem is that Thibs sucks, is gotta be the worst NBA HC there is! Just hope he does bad enough so he doesn’t ever get another chance!